Automatic fire-extiguisher system.



M. S. RUNSVOLD & N. NELSSKOG.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22. I916.

Patented June 25, 1918.

\ LAAD MARTIN S. RUNSVOLD AND NELS NELSSKOG, F EVERETT, -\PV'ASI-IINGl-ZION.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Ju1y 22, 191s. Seria1N0. 110,658.

7 '0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we. MARTIN S. RUNsvoLD and New .NELSSKtKh citizens of the United States and residents of Everett, in the county of Snohomish and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire-Extin guisher Systems, of which the following is a full, true, and exact specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in automatic fire extinguisher systems and more particularly to that class of automatic systems which are known as dry pipe systems and has for its principal object to provide a system of the class described in which the pipes of the system do not normally con tain either water or air under pressure; to provide improved and novel automatic mechanical means for admitting water under pressure to the system in case of fire; to provide a novel and improved type of valve and valve mechanism for quickly admitting water to the pipes. Another object of our de vice is to provide novel means for efi'ecting the release of the valve opening mechanism.

Other objects will appear as our invention is more fully explained in. the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims;

In the drawings Figure l is an elevation of our device with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of our device showing more particularly the extreme outer end of the system and the automatic valve releasing means. Fig. 3 is an enlarged frag mcn'tary plan of means for effecting the release of the valve mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, numeral 1 indicates a Water main which istconnected to a valve 2. The valve 2 is provided with hand opening mechanism and means for retaining a watchmans key so that the key cannot be removed unless the valve is open. An automatic valve at is connected adjacent the end of valve. 2. Valve 4 embodies a water passage 5 which is normally closed by a valve 6 and a rislng screw stem 7 which passes through the nut 8. The nut 8 is suspended by links 9 from levers 10. One end of each of levers 10 is pivoted to the valve body 4 as at 11 while the other end is provided with a roller 12 which normally rests against a cam 13 which is slldably mounted upon stem 7. A cam lever 14 is attached to cam 13 at one end, pivoted as at 15 to a yoke 16 and again pivoted at its outer end to a rod 17. The other end of rod 17 Patented June 25, 1913. i

is pivoted to one end of a lever 18 which is fulcrumed as at 19 to a bracket 20. The

other end of the lever is provided with a roller 21 which normally rests against the face of a cam lever 22. Cam lever 22 is pivotally mounted at 23 and is provided with a gravity actuated weight 2 1 at its outer end.

A trip 25 is pivoted to the outer end of bracket 20 and engages and retains a dog, 26

which is pivoted to cam lever 22 which supports weight 24. Valve 4 is provided with test connections 27 and alarm gage 28 in the usual manner. From the outer end of valve 4. a main 29 leads to small distributing mains 30 which are located conveniently throughout the building which is to be protected. Distributing mains 30 are provided with sprinkler heads 31. A combustible cord or fusible line 32 is attached to trip 25 and holds the said trip normally in an engagement with the dog 26. The line 32 is led along and supported from the mains 29. here distributing mains branch off from the mains 29 line 32 passes through openings 33 in a pair of shear plates 34 and 35. Shear plate 3a is stationary while shear plate 35 is slidably mounted in a rack 36 and is normally held in position as shown by toggle links 37 which in turn are supported by levers 38 which are pivoted o'n rack 36. I

Levers 38 are provided with counter weights 39 and are normally held as shown by means of fusible lines 10 which are held taut along the distributing mains by means of an adjustable spring tightening device 41. In operation when a fire occurs in the vicinity of any of the distributing mains the fusible line 410 is severed by the heat thus allowing the counter weight 39 to drop down, which in turn operates the shear plate 35 with the result that line 32 is severed. The severing of line 32 releases trip 25, disengages dog 26 and allows weight 2st to drop downward. The movementof weight 24 actuates cam lever 22 which acting through lever 18, rod 17 and lever 14c shoves cam lever 13 downwardly between rollers 12. The spreading of rollers 1.2 straightens out links 9 and raises the nut 8 which pulls the stem 7 with it and thereby raises valve seat 6 and allows the extinguishing fluid to flow through the valves and into the main 29 and the distributing mains 30. From the foregoing, it will be evident that in order to flood the. mains it is only necessary to sever either of the lines 32 011 40; Further the pressure of fluid below Valve 6 will instantly open the valve fully when the cam 13 is slightly depressed.-

\Vhile we have shown a particular form of embodiment: of. our --invention, .we are Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent;-'is- 1. An automatic fire extinguisher system including pressureless dry pipe mains and distributing mains, an automatically operated Valve, whereby the extinguishing fluid is admitted-to then'iains, gravityactuated levers, a nut screwed onto the stem of the valveya .caln slidably mounted on said stem and connected to said levers, means cooperatingiwith said cam and connected'with said nut, whereby the said nut is raised.

2. An automatic dry pipe fire extinguisher system which includes a quick opening;

valve, a movable valve stem; a nut screwed onto. said stem, pivoted levers, links pivoted .to the. levers and said nut, and a gravity actuated cam mounted on said stemand cooperating with said levers, whereby the levers are moved and the said nut and stem are raised.

MARTIN S. RUNSVOLD. NELS NELSSKOG.

Copies of thi'spatent may be obtained' for five centseaehyby addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,-D. C. 

